They came out in advocating for national parks, small businesses, public education and health care for veterans, abortion rights and fair elections. They opposed tariffs and oligarch, dark money and fascism, deportation of legal immigrants, and government efficiency.
Protesters gathered in towns and cities across the country on Saturday to protest President Trump’s agenda, with no shortage of causes. The rally was planned in all 50 states, and images posted on social media showed crowds in diverse locations, such as St. Augustine, Florida. Salt Lake City and Rainey Frankfort, Kentucky.
“Rain, 43 degrees, chewing wind, and there are still thousands of people in Albany,” said comic book writer Ron Martz, who posted a photo of the New York State Capitol crowd in X.
While it’s difficult to estimate the size of the crowd, organizers said that over 600,000 people have signed up to participate, and that the event was also held in 12 locations in the US and around the world.
Protests increased nearly 20 blocks on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In Chicago, thousands of people flooded the streets adjacent to Daily Plaza, while the country’s capital surrounded the Washington memorial. In Atlanta, police estimated that the crowd was marching to the state capitol where Kim Hew was in Kinwai with more than 20,000 people.
Trump, who played golf in Florida on Saturday, appeared to be largely ignoring the protest. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Several demonstrators waving American flags, sometimes upside down to signal their pain. Many, especially federal workers and university students, did not want to talk about the records for fear of retaliation. Right-wing slogans like “Stop the Steal” have been adopted to prevent social security, medical care and cancer research.
“I’m a customs duties. Are you?” Read one placard. Global financial markets fell this week with Trump’s announcement of tariff increases. Many economists warned that prices would be raised for US consumers. Congressional Republicans worked on budget proposals that included cutting Medicaid and cutting back on food benefits.
“Did you vote for this,” said Baltimore resident Rob Earlrichs, who attended the protest in Washington with his two sons and wife, Catherine Sterner.
In Chicago, Marilyn Finner, 65, who works in customer service, said she never attended the protests but felt compelled to attend Saturday because she was worried about the threat to retirement benefits.
“In the end I want to receive the Social Security I paid,” she said. “I’ve been working since I was 13. I’m fighting for my social security and everyone else.”
The massive action, with the intentionally open-ended name “Hands Off!”, was planned when many Democrats lamented what they deemed as a strong lack of resistance to Trump. The president acted aggressively to punish those and institutions he deemed to be out of step with his ideology.
Don Westhoff, a 59-year-old accountant, was another first-time protester. He expressed his anger at the administration, but also had words to Democrats, saying that a young leader was needed to inject the president.
“We want to let elected Democrat officials know that good is no longer enough,” he said. “They need to fight.”
Multiple concerns have led Catlin Hinrichsen to drive six hours to attend Washington from his home in Toland, Connecticut. She had a sign with the names of legal residents with foreign passports who had moved to deportation due to allegations of anti-Semitic speech and gang activity.
The rally was organized by an indivisible Moveon, and several other groups, who led protests on abortion rights, gun violence and racial justice during the first Trump administration. Organizers said they hope to shift their focus to issues like health care and social security with the message that Trump is making life even more difficult for the average American while benefiting his wealthiest allies.
They also focused on large-scale demonstrations like the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, and instead moved away from planning hundreds of local gatherings in large and small communities.
Concerns vary from location to location. In Ketchum, Idaho (population 3,555), the Forest Service cuts have sparked deep concern, said Fiona Smus, a 56-year-old resident, who attended the protest that she said attracted more than 500 people. One sign shows a smoky bear, saying, “It’s serious that we can prevent a bushfire. We’ve been refunded. It’s just you now.”
Some demonstrators had certain issues, while others opposed the Trump administration and the Maga movement in general. One indication was declared: “Let go of my money, my rights, my democracy.” “Make it wrong again,” another person said. Elon Musk, the billionaire who led the fierce attacks on Trump’s federal officials, was a popular target.
“It feels like the people at Maga have corrupted and adopted the American flag and the idea of patriotism,” said Barbara Santarelli, 77, a flag-covered retired healthcare worker who attended a New York City rally. She described her as a Jewish centre concerned about her retirement benefits, her attacks and freedom of speech on universities, the war in Gaza, and the right to the due process.
Before the event, she said, her daughter expressed concern about her safety. But she said attending the protest was something she had to do. “Soldiers, they go to war to protect democracy,” she recalled. “At my age, this is how I go to war to protect my democracy.”
In Chicago, Grintipton, a 45-year-old drug expert, said he was present to make his friends feel safer.
“I’m a typical white person, so they haven’t come for me,” he said. “I have a lot of my friends who are Jews…, they are in the military and sick, they are fine, it’s okay to stand out here.
Many protesters said they were directly affected by federal work and cuts in grants. In Atlanta, 34-year-old Johnny Johnson said he was hired by the Internal Revenue Service in a few months, fired and rehired.
“I was soaked in the 401(k) because I didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said.
In Denver, a veteran Trump protester said on Saturday there was a significantly smaller Latinx presence than the protests had during Trump’s first term. “Do you notice there aren’t many Chicano people here? That’s because people are scared,” said Brian Roma, 49, environmental organizer who set up tents in the snow selling hot chocolate. He said the government was like “tearing the green cards.” “That’s crazy.”
Among the protesters in New York City was Melissa Jackson, 41, a former special education teacher and a three-year-old mother on a professional learning plan for students with disabilities.
“I think that’s ridiculous. New York in the US is a melting pot. She added that she was also worried about reducing public education. “We came too far and made many steps.”
(Source: New York Times)